Being in Love
by Jtoasn
Summary: A story about how you shouldn't fall in love with your best friends. Hermione x Ron, Harry x Hermione, Ron x Fleur


**Being in Love**

"Ron, what took you so long? I've only got a 30min break you know" Hermione asked as the said person made his way into the food court. His hands held up in apology.

"Sorry, sorry. But I finally figured out how I'm going to get Fleur a great present for her birthday!"

"Fleur... as in Fleur Delacour?" Harry asked, "But that's ... well, truthfully Ron... she's way out of your league!"

"Guys, I'm getting a job!" Ron said, ignoring Harry's comments.

"What? No way... not our Ronald!"

"Yeah, I saw this bracelet and my parents won't help me get it... so I got a job! I'm gonna be working here! I start today!"

"Here? Like where here? In one of the muggle shops?" Harry asked, looking around the shopping centre, "I bet it's the men's clothing shop... or are you going to be selling phones...?"

"But Ronald can't sell anything; I bet it's the video store because you don't get to do anything but rewind videos!"

"No, guys it's nothing like that"

"Oh no" Harry said, his face becoming mock serious "Is it... is it fast food?"

"Nope. I'm a cleaner"

"..."

"Guys?" Ron asked as his two friends looked at each other.

Then they started to laugh, Ron waited patiently and continued after their laughter died. "Are you done yet?"

"S-sorry Ron, but seriously, a cleaner?"

"Well, you two have got jobs you know... and I don't want to ask Fred and George. I really wanted to buy her something that I worked hard for... I like her a lot you know"

"Well, if this is going to get any mushier I might as well leave now... duty calls... come on Mione, we'll leave Ron to clean this up for us"

"You're so funny" Ron said sarcastically, but he waved at them happily as they left him at the table.

"Well, Mione, you know... since I'm working late tonight anyways, I was wondering if you wanted me to walk you home... if you wanted to that is" Harry asked.

"Thanks, but it's alright, we have stock coming in this afternoon, so I don't know what time I'll finish... you go ahead though" she said happily, Harry nodded.

"Alr-okay I guess I'll see you tomorrow then..." He smirked and tried to change the subject, and his disappointment, he pointed to her book shop which had boxes of stock in them. "Geez, got much stock in?"

"Go back to your shoe shop!" She ordered, Harry walked away, a smirk playing on his lips; but in his head he hated himself for not INSISTING that he took her home.

What did it matter anyway? She doesn't know what it's like, being in love with your best friend.

******

"Hermione, you know you're friend over there?" Lavender asked. Hermione turned around to see Ron pushing around the cleaning trolley.

"Yeah, what about him?"

"You know he gave Fleur a bracelet yesterday!"

"Was that yesterday?" she asked, Lavender nodded frantically, "I wonder what happened, he doesn't look too happy"

Hermione looked at Ron cleaning, he didn't look too happy at all. Maybe she had turned him down, which she thought was silly.

Who would turn him down?

After a couple of hours and all the other workers gone Hermione just stood at the register and watched Ron cleaning.

If you asked her, she couldn't be able to tell you when she fell in love with him.

To tell you the truth, she didn't think she could even say for certain when she first became aware of him being a necessity in her life. This might have been funny, because they had been friends for such a long time that it was impossible that she was in love with Ron.

But it happened, and if you've ever been in love. You know it's the worst but best thing that could come about, but you can't turn it off like a switch.

"Hey, working hard?" she asked him after a while, the shops were all basically closed, so she mustered the courage to go out and talk to him.

"It's a lot harder than you think... and some people are some real slobs too... oh hey since I finish late anyway, maybe I can drop you home... it's not safe for you to walk home by yourself anyway"

Ron looked at Hermione, waiting for her answer "Yeah... I'd like that. Um... Ron?"

"Yeah?"

She didn't deserve someone as great as you anyway. Is what she wanted to ask him, "Nothing... I'll tell you later"

"Okay, well I gotta go... do my rounds, and then I'll change. I guess I'll see you in about 45mins" Ron said, waving goodbye to her.

"Yeah, I'll see you"

Her shop was closed in15 minutes; the rest of the time was spent making sure that she didn't have food in her teeth, that her breath didn't smell, and the going to the chemist and putting on some perfume on, so that she didn't smell like work.

She didn't want to take advantage of the fact that Ron was broken hearted, or the fact that they were best friends and that they could tell each other anything. But she had waited for so long to tell him, to tell him that she liked him... more than a friend.

She wondered if confession was always this difficult.

"Hey"

"Oh hey, have you seen Ron?" she asked Harry as he walked towards her.

"Um... no. Why?"

"Oh, he was supposed to walk me home. I guess it's still early. What are you doing here?" Harry suddenly became quiet.

"What? What's wrong?"

He looked up at her, "I-I'm moving to America"

"What?" she said, shocked "Oh my God! For how long?"

"For... forever" He said, looking up at her, a glimmer of hope in his eyes "But, if you want me to... I'll stay here"

"Why?" She asked, she hit him playfully "There's nothing for you here! Come on, I haven't even seen you with a girlfriend before. Go to America!"

He looked down at the ground, and then looked back up at her. It was the exact moment that his heart broke in a million pieces. "You're right... there is nothing here... is there?"

"Nope, doesn't seem like it. Oh there's Ronald!" she said, as they both saw his figure jogging towards them.

Harry nodded his head, "I'm gonna go... you know... packing and everything"

"Ron? Are you ready? What's wrong?" she asked, not even noticing when Harry walked away from her.

"S-sorry... I can't walk you home..." he said, catching his breath, she looked at him confused and waiting for an explanation "... I thought that she didn't like it... but she did... we're going on a date"

"Who?"

"Fleur, who else could I possibly, be in love with?!" he exclaimed, he hugged Hermione who stood there in shock "I'm so happy!"

"T-that's great Ron!"

"So, what is it that you wanted to tell me?" he asked, she shook her head.

She couldn't do it; she couldn't look into his happy face and tell him that she loved him, no... He'll realise it sooner or later, he has to! Before it's too late.

"It's nothing"

"Alright... I'll see you tomorrow then!"

Then it was just her that was left, she didn't realise how much she missed the old days.

Before Harry had left, and before Ron had gotten a girlfriend. They all used to hang out together and have so much fun, they didn't care about girlfriends or boyfriends, they didn't care about school much but they had fun.

She hated to be left out, Ron knew that. So he invited her to go out with him and Fleur, but she felt more alone than anything. You can't just watch the love of your life falling in love with someone else in front of you.

It shouldn't have to happen.

After a while, she began to hate the Ron that was with Fleur. She didn't love him when he was with Fleur. He was the perfect boyfriend, romantic, sweet, charming. But she didn't love the same person that Fleur loved.

She didn't know him, Hermione knew him.

Hermione loved the REAL Ronald.

But it's a dangerous thing, she thought, being in love with your best friend.

******  
America

"Harry! Phone for you!"

"Hello?"

"Harry..."

He scrunched his eyes for a second, trying to think of who this was. "Oh Ron?"

"She broke up with me"

"Who did?" Ron asked, as he wandered around his room.

"Fleur... sh-she said that she didn't...there was someone else..."

Harry stopped; mid step, "What? Really? Are you okay?"

"It.... it was five years you know... It's just hard; I didn't know who to call... Hermione's busy going to that muggle University and... You're my best friend you know"

"Hey, we've been your friends since we were little, nothings gonna change that though" Harry said, he saw the pictures that they took when they graduated high school; they were 17 and so carefree. That was 5 years ago.

"But I wasted five years on her you know... I thought... I wanted to marry her... it hurts you know"

"It hurts now, and you'll think about her a lot, then as the days pass, you'll think about her less and less and it'll hurt less and less. Then months might pass and you might not think about her at all. And that'll hurt... but you know the ones that stay in your head and your heart... for more than a couple of months... those hurt a lot" Harry said, "Take it from me, you'll get over her"

"Yeah... I suppose so..."

"Where are you calling from? I didn't recognize the ID number"

"It's my new place, I got it with... with Fleur... it was a surprise" Ron said, "Sorry to bother you with all this... I'll- I'll talk to you soon then"

"Alright... take care of yourself Ron...bye"

"Who was on the phone?" He turned around to see his wife, standing in the doorway.

"Oh, just Ron you met him at the wedding..." He smiled and looked at her; she had that look in her eyes.

The same look that he used to have when he was with Hermione, the same look that Hermione had when she looked at Ron.

He smiled and kissed his wife softly on the lips, he really didn't think he would get over Hermione, but over time, he did.

"Hey, I was thinking... you know your friend Hermione, I was thinking we should set her up with my cousin... you saw how cute they looked together"

"Yeah... I-I dunno if she'll go for it though. She's really busy you know, University and all..." he said nervously "But I'll ask her about it"

******  
So the years and the months and the days went past. They each found their own happiness, but not with each other.

They never spoke about their secret first loves, and when they were asked they lied. Because their love was still there, even when they grew up and got old, it was still lingering in their hearts, like a wound that wouldn't close, and that every now and then, it would itch but you could never get to it.

They all knew, even if they never said it, its hard being in love with your best friend.

Fin.

_-_-_-_


End file.
